Lake Placid really is the perfect place for an IM.

Yes and no. Perfect for who?

LP has many things going for it as an IM race venue, but much of this is founded on what triathlon was all about 15 plus years ago. Back then RD's seeked out smaller towns like LP to host these races. A majority of the athletes wanted to race in scenic and challenging areas. They did not care about the hassles of getting to those locations. IMC and Penticton is another similar location. The races were smaller and the volunteer base needed was also smaller.

The current generation of triathletes and IM participants in particular, are very different than the core group from 10 -15 years ago. The races are also much bigger, and require far more volunteers. There is more a family element to the races now and more spectators. Road closures, permits and policing costs are significantly higher. The "perfect" IM race venue is different now.

I mentioned this in some other thread recently, but I had a bit of an epiphany at IMAZ last fall. If I was to pick an IM race to race these days, IMAZ would be at the bottom of my list - nothing about the course appeals to me! But almost everyone I talked to at IMAZ, athletes and spectators loved it! That's all that matters. If the participants and the spectators( friends & family) like it, then it's good! I am not going to argue with that. With three loops for bike and run and much of the run on a concrete park path, road costs are low. Phoenix is easy to get to for many with plentiful and inexpensive hotels and accommodation everywhere!

It's interesting that the St George Race has been cut back to a 70.3. as an IM it was a throw-back to the older style - like IMC and IMLP. It was no surprise as the course designers there and the original Race Directors were Roch Frey and Paul Huddle - two disciples of Graham Fraser and Old School in their thinking.





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Well said Steve,the Ironman landscape is certainly changing,quite literally..

I don't know what goes on for the rest of the summer in Lake Placid but the cash cow that IMC usd to be to Penticton is fast becoming,just another event in a long summer of busy weekends.In fact I would suggest it is the numerous camps and training weeks/weekends that may bring more money into the community than the race itself.


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Did anyone mention Lake George?
If i was WTC I would mention to the LP politicians that Lake George would make a great place to start and end the race.
Lake george could use th influx of money and i think there is a big convention center there also.

Have you ever been to Lake Placid?\\

I was asked to go there and speak to a large triathlon group at the olympic training center in 1982. In 1983 i won the inaugural 1/2 ironman type distance race they put on there. I took part in many of the monday nite races they put on just about every week there, and the last time i was there to qualify for worlds in 2003 i believe. I love that place, and opposed to some other places, it has weathered the ironman storm, and kept a small town feel.

My point was that ironman can put on a race just about anywhere and it will fill up and make a lot more money than lake placid can, just because of the numbers it can hold. Keep in mind that this is a venture capital group here, looking to maximize short term revenue and profits so that they can flip this business and make a healthy profit. They do not give two shits about 20 years from now. Look, they are canceling an ironman in Utah that only gets 1700 athletes, more than Placid i believe. If they can substitute it for another NY type of race where they make more than twice as much, they have that incentive.

In any case, i hope the race survives, if not, i hope one of the other players comes in and takes advantage of all the folks like you and i that just love the place, not because of ironman, but in spite of it..

While that is grand and all - let there be no question - "They" have thought of it. WTC no doubt has sent in their key folks to talk to key folks about key things. Now, we can not forget that the NY State Police is no fan at all about this event. If they were to try to change the venue there would be some serious renegotiation's about who provides security of the roads, and at what cost - UP FRONT-. The over time never has been paid (or regular time for that matter), all the while the Convention and Vist. folks are going to have the mayor and local elected officials lean on the police...they currently have some standing. "If not you (State Police), who?".

Then there is all the other "paid" volunteer relationships that they have with certainty. There is no such thing as a volunteer - period. Every boyscout troop gets something for handing out water and flat pop. Last thing WTC wants to do is try to rebuild those relationships in a new venue. There really is very much more to it, right down to the folks in canoes at the swim, who live in LP and look forward to doing it every year.

Then add in the permit folks - it is far easier to say "Same as last year" than it is to go over the new plan at every other county board meeting with every insurance adjuster on earth, the fire dept, the police, water and on and on and on and on and on

Question - why does either one of these groups need leverage? Everyone wins with IMLP. The area gets great economic impact, the city gets a World class event, athletes get a wonderful course and place to race - The race fills up in 10 min. I see no reason why either group would not want to continue with the race. Same with Penticton, CDA, Panama City Beach, Madison, etc. BTW - I have been to every IMLP with Ironman and have done the race four times. It is my favorite IM race in North America. Z

3) any company could put on this event.
The good folks of Lake Placid could decide that its "imLP" and not the other way around. They could do an end-run around the WTC and sign a deal with Rev3 or Challenge or TriStar. That would be an exciting decision. It lets us test some other theories too, such as funny you should say this. You could say Rev3 was born on this course. Charlie did IMLP '08 (the Deluge) and that's when Rev3 was born! Would seem a pinnacle of sorts if that were to ever happen

4) the Rev3 lovers really do love Rev3.
Would all the people who talk up Rev3 sign up for the LP event if Mike Reilly wasn’t there? done it twice before, would do it again under new ownership/management! I think keeping a limit on folks is key as well, 2,800 folks on a two lap course is insane!

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F.I.S.T & Retul cert

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Rev3 / TimAndrusOnline /http://[ "[url]http://www.powerbar.com"]PowerBar[/url] / Biotta Beet Juice / BlueSeventy / TriSLide / Compex/

Trust me - I believe and hope for a win/win here. I think LP is a great place and the WTC puts on an amazing event - they are the best big triathlon event management people in the world. There will always be negative people, who don't like what you are doing. However, the people that I find particularly annoying are the people that do go to the race, and are part of the scene, knowing full-well what it's all about and what they should expect, and then they still complain!

Bingo! The flow of money to and from LP for this event is almost entirely out of our control as athletes. It's hard to vote with your wallet when the associated demand is so high. The one thing that we can control - as athletes - is our behavior while we are guests there.

Treat the locals politely. Frequent the businesses, and respect the way that they operate (they've been there longer than you have). Train off course whenever possible. When training on-course, understand that not everyone on the road is training for an IM - most are going to/from the store, work, home, etc. Above and beyond all else ... don't be a dick. It's a pretty simple formula. If more people adhered to these standards, then this anti-IM sentiment that seems so prevalent among locals wouldn't even be part of the discussion.